Twice this week, the Tampa Bay Rays found themselves in a win-or-go-home scenario, and both times the Rays emerged victorious, living to play another day.

Their reward? A trip up to Fenway Park to face off against their division rivals, the Boston Red Sox, which to some may seem more like a punishment than a reward, given Tampa Bay’s losing record against the Sox during the regular season.

But the playoffs are a different animal, and if we’ve learned anything from watching baseball over the years it’s that in a short series, anything can—and usually does—happen.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at five steps the Rays need to take if they have any hopes of finding success and living to play another day once again, this time in the American League Championship Series.

 

*Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
*Click here to watch postseason baseball online via MLB.com.

 

 

 

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